Yui Muto Becomes First Japanese to Win Individual Overall Gold Medal at World Logging Championship!

Supported by Husqvarna Zenoah Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture; Representative Director: Anna Pauline Elisabeth Nilsson), athlete Yui Muto (Fukushima Prefecture) won the individual overall gold medal in the Women's class at the World Logging Championship 2026 (the 36th WLC), held in Slovenia from Thursday, March 12 to Sunday, March 15, 2026. This marks the first time a Japanese competitor has achieved this feat. A total of 114 competitors from 24 countries, primarily from Europe, participated in this tournament, engaging in fierce competition across individual events—tree felling, fitting another chain, bucking by combined cuts, precision bucking, and limbing—as well as a national team relay event and a team competition featuring three professionals. Among the four members who competed in the WLC as JLC Team Husqvarna, Yui Muto (Fukushima Prefecture) competing in the Women's class reached the pinnacle of the world by winning the individual overall gold medal, a first for a Japanese person. In the individual events, she also achieved unprecedented success for a Japanese competitor by winning the gold medal in precision bucking (a Japanese first), the silver medal in bucking by combined cuts, and the silver medal in tree felling (a Japanese first). Winning three individual event medals in a single championship is also a magnificent, first-ever accomplishment for a Japanese competitor. Athlete Ryosuke Takayama (Nagano Prefecture, Yamori Sangyo Co., Ltd.) won the silver medal in the fitting another chain event, becoming the first Japanese to win a medal in the Professional class. In the U-24 class, athlete Sora Yamaoka (Nagano Prefecture, Yamori Sangyo Co., Ltd.) won silver medals in two events: fitting another chain and bucking by combined cuts. Becoming the first Japanese competitor in the U-24 category to win medals in multiple events, he demonstrated the capabilities that will lead the next generation. ● Women's Class Athlete Yui Muto: 2nd graduating class of Forestry Academy Fukushima Tree Felling: 626 pt. / Fitting Another Chain: 120 pt. / Bucking by Combined Cuts: 186 pt. (Silver Medal) / Precision Bucking: 233 pt. (Gold Medal) / Limbing: 384 pt. Total: 1,549 pt. (1st place overall in Women's Class) ● U-24 Class Athlete Sora Yamaoka: 43rd graduating class of Nagano Prefecture Forestry College, affiliated with Yamori Sangyo Co., Ltd. Tree Felling: 623 pt. / Fitting Another Chain: 132 pt. (Silver Medal) / Bucking by Combined Cuts: 179 pt. (Silver Medal) / Precision Bucking: 165 pt. / Limbing: 376 pt. Total: 1,475 pt. (11th place overall in Junior Class) ● Professional Class Athlete Ryosuke Takayama: 39th graduating class of Nagano Prefecture Forestry College, affiliated with Yamori Sangyo Co., Ltd. Tree Felling: 648 pt. / Fitting Another Chain: 140 pt. (Silver Medal) / Bucking by Combined Cuts: 186 pt. / Precision Bucking: 164 pt. / Limbing: 398 pt. Total: 1,536 pt. (44th place overall in Professional Class) Athlete Yu Matsumura: affiliated with Yamori Sangyo Co., Ltd. Tree Felling: 588 pt. / Fitting Another Chain: 122 pt. / Bucking by Combined Cuts: 176 pt. / Precision Bucking: 232 pt. / Limbing: 402 pt. Total: 1,520 pt. (48th place overall in Professional Class) As part of the Husqvarna Program, our company has been providing safety education utilizing WLC competitions to forestry colleges and academies in Japan. Athlete Yui Muto is from the second graduating class of one such institution, the Forestry Academy Fukushima, and is fully demonstrating the solid skills and safety awareness cultivated at the school on the world stage. At the 2024 World Logging Championship, Yui Muto became the first Asian to place 3rd overall in the Women's class, and she also delivered an outstanding performance by winning silver medals in the limbing and bucking by combined cuts events. Domestically as well, she won the gold medal at the Japan Logging Championship 2025, securing her right to compete in two consecutive tournaments, and ultimately achieving the remarkable feat of standing at the top of the world. As a permanent sponsor of the WLC, our company supports the championship and has continually provided support as the sole main sponsor of the JLC (Japan Logging Championship) since its inaugural event in Japan in 2014. Through the JLC and WLC competitions, we will continue to support the technical improvement of forestry workers and the development of human resources responsible for the advancement of Japan's forestry industry.